Brilliant Idiot: An Autobiography Of A Dyslexic

by Mary Lou Hartzler Clemens (Compiler)

This book chronicles one man’s battle to earn respect and an education, only to discover in mid-life that his severe mental "fog" was a serious learning disability. "Abe Schmitt’s towering portrayal is rich, meaningful, and poignant."

Genres: Biography, Biography Memoir

179 pages, Paperback

First published May 1, 1992

Reviews

[Sylvester (Taking a break in 2023) · Rating 3 out of 5]

Why is it that most of us who have it easy - no disabilities, lots of parental encouragement, plenty of opportunities, etc. make so little of ourselves, and a man like Abraham Schmitt struggles and fights and claws his way through intense obstacles and overcomes??!! This man humbles me. I can do more, really I can. If he can fight through that, surely we can fight through our smaller (speaking for myself) battles too.

[Tammy · Rating 5 out of 5]

I loved this book, and his honesty. I laughed, cried, and identified. I did not get a true diagnosis until my later years just like him and always struggled in academics, which affected my self-esteem greatly.

He's brought clarity to dyslexia, which most professionals in education are still unaware, and do not have the skill set to teach to this population. Educators are still stereotyping, and stigmatizing children with learning disabilities. I will certainly use this book as a resource for those I work with. I strongly recommend this book and appreciate the candor, vulnerability, and painful journey.

[Becky Bollinger · Rating 4 out of 5]

Dr. Abraham's story truly illustrates how dyslexia is an unexpected difficulty with reading/language in spite of above-average intelligence.

Although containing outdated information about dyslexia, his voice gives a real glimpse into the mystifying symptoms and the struggle to be understood in his generation.

A quite fascinating piece of this story is Dr. Abraham's Old Colony Mennonite background and his speculation that a high prevalence of dyslexia in his community contributed to their avoidance of education.

[Andi · Rating 3 out of 5]

This book gave me insight into dyslexia and the internal struggle going on with those who are dyslexic. Specifically, the frustration at being talented in certain areas of their life while struggling to accomplish the most mundane tasks.

[Nancy · Rating 4 out of 5]

The author views his dyslexia as a gift and helped me to see it in the same way. He ends the book with this: “We are not made to stay the same. . . . I am optimistic that everything is possible, that every obstacle in life can be conquered.” Dr. Schmitt has done this against incredibly hard odds.

[w gall · Rating 4 out of 5]

An autobiography of sorts. His life progresses from mostly failures to mostly successes. Very informative in regard to the nature of dyslexia.

[Roger Bailey · Rating 3 out of 5]

This book allowed me to do some learning. I did not know much about dyslexia. I knew it was a learning disability, but I thought it was pretty much a reading disability. I had only the layman's conception about it as something that caused letters to be transposed in one's mind. I learned that there is a lot more to it than that and that it effects pretty much the dyslexic's entire life. The main reason I read it was because I have an acquaintance who is dyslexic and now I know that a lot of her behavior that I did not associate with dyslexia is directly caused by the condition. She has a tendency, when she wants to travel from point A to point C, to travel from point A to point B first and then from point B to point C even if it is a lot shorter a trip to travel from point A straight to point C. She says that that peculiarity is because she knows the way to point B and from point B to point C, but does not know the way from point A to point C. Now I know that this is a symptom of her dyslexia. I also now know that her tendency to get lost in what should be familiar territory is due directly to her dyslexia. I don't want to go through a whole list of other symptoms, but I will say that she matches quite a few of them and now I have a better understanding of her and can be quite a bit more sympathetic.

[Emma Filbrun · Rating 5 out of 5]

Because I am the mother (and teacher) of several dyslexic boys, and the wife of a dyslexic man, the topic of dyslexia is one of my top interests. Ever since learning several years ago what to call the collection of symptoms I was facing daily as I struggled to teach my boys to read, I have been studying dyslexia, trying to learn all I can about it and how to work with it. Some time ago, I heard about Brilliant Idiot, and when I was able to get it from the library I read it aloud to my family (and when I finished my husband told me I should have recorded my reading so he could hear it again!).

Read my full review here.

[Leigh Ann · Rating 5 out of 5]

This book was on a recommended list for parents with children with dyslexics. I bought it for that purpose but boy was I surprised. It was so much more than that and would be enjoyable for anyone--dyslexic or non-dyslexic, parent of or not. This tells the story of a man raised through the 20'-40's brought to Canada from Russia and his struggle with the different languages as well as education in general. He talks about the lack of understanding with his struggles and how he was labeled the Idiot. It then tells the story of how he fights this internal idiot and rises above it, figuring out in his 50's what his true problem was/is. It's a short quick read but very fascinating.

[Kerry · Rating 2 out of 5]

I expected more out of this book. The first half was more interesting and also more heart breaking. The author struggled through life not knowing he was dyslexic until he was an adult. Then he goes more indepth regarding dyslexia. He implies some details that are not completely factual. It was an easy read though and can give insight to those struggling with learning disabilities.

[Christine · Rating 5 out of 5]

Had to read for school but really loved it. Imagine living as a dyslexic when it wasn't "invented" yet and you had to compensate totally on your own. Guy is amazing!!

[Heather Gobbett]

An amazing and compelling autobiography!